Harden is the principal northern fortress of the mainland holdings of the Kingdom of Melderyn. The castle is strategically placed along the Genin Trail and holds a commanding position on the Horka River. Once the economic center of the region, Harden had declined since the founding of the city of Thay two centuries ago. Harden was once the capital of the Kingdom of Elorinar and is now the seat of the Earl of Elorin. Several ancient burial mounds in the vicinity are believed to be cursed.
The Harden article contains an overview of the castle and the surrounding settlement, including its history, economics, government, and religion. In addition to full-page color GM and player maps and descriptions of the settlement, detailed plans are provided for the castle and the adjacent Hjuruth Manor.

The majority of this article was originally published in 1987 as part of the Melderyn Kingdom Module. This version includes greatly expanded floor plans of the castle and descriptions of many additional settlement residents.